Jabir Herbert Muhammad facts for kids

Jabir Herbert Muhammad (April 16, 1929 – August 25, 2008) was an American businessman. He helped start a company called Top Rank, Inc. He is best known as the longtime manager of the famous boxer Muhammad Ali.

Early Life and Family

Jabir Herbert Muhammad was born in Detroit, Michigan. He was the third son of Elijah Muhammad, who led a religious and political organization called the Nation of Islam. Jabir was an important advisor to his father. He also managed the business side of the Nation of Islam.

He helped create their weekly newspaper with Malcolm X. Jabir Muhammad strongly supported his brother, Imam Warith Deen Muhammad. He followed his brother into mainstream Islam.

Jabir Muhammad, Muhammad Ali, and others helped build Masjid Al-Fatir. This was a special mosque built in Chicago, Illinois. It was one of the first mosques built from scratch by Muslim Americans. Many of these were African American Muslims.

Managing Muhammad Ali

Jabir Muhammad became Muhammad Ali's boxing manager in 1966. He took over after Ali's first management deal ended. He managed Ali's career until Ali retired from boxing in 1981.

Muhammad helped Ali earn a lot of money for his fights. He negotiated the first multi-million dollar earnings for any athlete. For example, Ali earned $2.5 million for the "Fight of the Century" in 1971. He also earned $5.5 million for the "Rumble in the Jungle" in 1974.

Jabir Muhammad was seen as a very powerful person in boxing. This was especially true in the 1960s and 1970s. He even won the "Manager of the Year" award in 1974. After Ali retired from boxing, Muhammad continued to manage his career for ten more years. Later, Muhammad had a successful career in other businesses.

Health and Later Life

Jabir Herbert Muhammad passed away on August 25, 2008. He was 79 years old. He died in Chicago after having heart surgery. He was survived by his wife, Amenah Antonia Muhammad, and his fourteen children.

Some people have discussed how Ali's health was managed. Around 1977, Ali's doctor, Ferdie Pacheco, suggested Ali stop fighting. He noticed early signs of health problems in the boxer. However, Ali continued to fight for four more years. Many believe this contributed to Ali later developing Parkinson's syndrome.

Ali's financial matters improved in the 1990s. This was after his wife, Lonnie Ali, largely took over managing his affairs. Jabir Muhammad was not involved in Ali's business after the 1990s.